Mumbai Traffic Police Takes Unique Approach to Tackle Speeding, Accidents

To curb the speeding, Mumbai Traffic Police and Highway Police have launched a unique testimonial-style campaign. The campaign was unveiled on Monday, November 20, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, with the support of Vital Strategies, a BIGRS (Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety) partner.

The campaign was inaugurated by Dr. Ravinder Singal, Additional Director General of Highway State Police (Traffic). He highlighted the profound impact of traffic crashes on the families of the victims. In 2022 alone, Maharashtra witnessed 15,224 traffic crash occurrences, resulting in 11,493 fatalities. State crash data also reveals that speeding has been the leading cause of fatal crashes, fatalities, and injuries over the past five years.

At the heart of the campaign is a film named "Speeding can cost a family its future: The Story of Narkars". It narrates the tragic story of a father who lost his 24-year-old son, Sagar, to a speeding accident. The film emphasises the father's grief and ends with a powerful plea for drivers to consider the consequences of speeding.

The campaign will be aired in theatres in Hindi and Marathi across Maharashtra for ten days. Additionally, the message will be displayed on more than 200 hoardings and banners at chowkies, traffic aid posts in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, state and national roads in Maharashtra, and bus depots. A matching internet campaign will run for two weeks, informing people about the consequences of speeding.

The Highway Police will also enforce speed limits on the 98 national and 20 state routes. They have equipped 96 police interceptor vehicles with tint metres, breathalysers, and speed guns to tackle severe traffic violations.

Dr. Singal also announced that from November 22 to 24, there will be five day-long support camps in Pune, Thane, Aurangabad, Raigad, and Nagpur for victims of road crashes and their families. These camps will provide guidance and information on the rights of victims of traffic accidents and their families, including registering accidents, obtaining legal assistance, and understanding the duties of the police force.